Man Federally Indicted In Newport Cigarette Robberies, Facing 20 Years

A federal grand jury returned an indictment last week charging a Baltimore, Maryland man with three counts of Hobbs Act Robbery.

According to the indictment, Donald Gladden, 56, robbed three tobacco stores in New Castle, Delaware during a 10-day crime spree this summer. The Indictment alleges Gladden committed robberies on May 27, May 31, and June 5, 2022, taking cash and Newport cigarettes during each incident.

Gladden is charged with three counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, one for each store. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, made the announcement. The Delaware State Police Robbery Unit out of Troop 2 in Bear, Delaware is investigating the case with assistance from the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli H. Klein is prosecuting the case.

The first is the Hobbs Act, a 1946 law that makes it a federal crime to commit robbery (or attempt to do so) in a way that affects interstate commerce. The Hobbs Act defines robbery as unlawfully taking another person’s property “by means of actual or threatened force.”

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